There is something about the spring and summer months that make one want to spend time outdoors. The most pleasant times outdoors are often in the evenings when the air is just a bit cooler. Another thing spring and summer make me think about is listening to music at an outdoor venue.
The Atlanta area and really the state of Georgia have been blessed with many areas where a music lover can spend an evening outdoors enjoying the music they like the best. I’m going to look at a few of these venues, but there is no way to mention them all. Many of the smaller parks in the cities throughout the state offer live music. If you are visiting the state I encourage you to look for any venue close to you and see what music might be offered for your enjoyment.
Probably the first place I should mention is the Chastain Park Amphitheatre. Chastain Amphitheater was once the home of the Theatre Under the Stars which brought Broadway shows to Atlanta during the summer months. The productions moved indoors in 1968 and Atlanta lost a bit of its magic.
Chastain is now the home of two different concert promotions each summer. The concerts bring in major performers from several different genres of music. There is seating in a horseshoe shape around the stage with the area in front of the stage open so that tables and chairs may be set up for concert goers to enjoy the food and drinks they bring into the shows. I will not mention the complaints about noise from the tables or about season ticket holders who have no idea who the performing act is, so they talk throughout the concert. I’m sure it would be rude to mention those things.
music midtown by Mark Runyon via wikimedia commons
Another music venue is Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood. This venue is located on the south side of Atlanta at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds and was built specifically for popular music. With seats for 7,000 and a lawn that will accommodate another 12,000 concert goers, this facility is able to attract many major acts for its summer concert series.
Not to be outdone the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park opened in 2008 in Alpharetta, Georgia just north of downtown Atlanta. This venue is the home for many of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s outdoor concerts and is also a venue for many major popular music acts during its summer series.
If there is a major act touring in the United States during the summer months there is a good chance you will be able to see them at Chastain Amphitheatre, Aaron’s Amphitheatre or Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.
One of the loveliest sites to catch a concert is the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The concerts are held on the Great Lawn inside the Gardens. There is no seating, so you bring a low backed lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Food and drinks are available for purchase. This year the Gardens have added concerts at the new Ivester Amphitheater in Gainesville, Georgia. You can enjoy the opening celebration this weekend!
Other venues for outdoor concerts in the area include Piedmont Park, Atlantic Station and Centennial Olympic Park. Piedmont Park is the home of the Midtown Music Festival which was reborn a couple of years ago and is now a two day event inside the park. About a 100,000 of your closest friends will join you for the event.
Oatkast by GIKDUP via wikimedia commons
Fayette County which is south of Atlanta is the home of two amphitheaters. The Southern Ground Amphitheater in Fayetteville has a summer concert series as well as individual performances outside its series. Peachtree City has the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater which hosts its own summer series.
Chukkar Farms Polo Club which is north of Atlanta also hosts a summer series of concerts which include different genres of music in the lovely Chukkar Farm Pavilion.
As I said before there is no way I can mention all of the spots to enjoy music in an outdoor setting this spring and summer. I hope you will look for any events in your area. If there are some favorites that I have not mentioned I hope you will let me know. I might even ask you to write a bit about them for us.
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